The DRBC volunteer team at Mercer Street Friends. Photo by the DRBC.

While the main efforts of DRBC staff are focused on managing and protecting the shared interstate waters of the Delaware River Basin, they also care about helping out in our local communities.

DRBC staff recently volunteered at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank (MSF) in Ewing Township, N.J. This is one of our favorite volunteer activities!

MSF is the leader of the community's response to hunger, offering prevention programs and annually distributing millions of pounds of privately- and government-donated food to a network of more than 100 shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries in Mercer County, N.J. In addition to running the food bank, Mercer Street Friends also offers a free preschool and many programs for youth, adults and parents.

To respond to the growing needs of its communities, MSF recently expanded to a larger warehouse for increased storage and improved food distribution. One distribution program is MSF's "Send Hunger Packing" program, which provides schools throughout the county with food to cover weekend meals for students - totaling 12,000 meals a month!

This year, staff worked in the warehouse, helping make roughly 560 meals to help Send Hunger Packing. We would have done more, but MSF ran out of pallet boxes!

This was our 10th year volunteering at the Food Bank, and we always appreciate the experience.

Thank you to the MSF staff for having us and for all you do in the local community!

During the holiday season and all throughout the year, DRBC staff are proud to do their part to help those in need. A small agency can have a big impact when they work together to do good for others.

Learn more about the great work of MSF at https://mercerstreetfriends.org/.

DRBC's Patti Hausler preps boxes of milk for the Send Hunger Packing bags. Photo by the DRBC.	DRBC staff in the "production line" fill Send Hunger Packing bags with weekend meals. Photo by the DRBC.	DRBC staff at the end of the production line pack up the bags in boxes. Photo by the DRBC.